Most of my customers ask me
how I get the mirror smooth look and shine to my gloss work
and the answer's pretty simple. Follow the correct paint
system and by that I mean make sure the object being
painted has been prepared, primed etc in the correct
fashion as short cuts don't make for a perfect finish.
Neither might I add does a small budget because this
correct 'paint system' comes at a price and often it can
make you uncompetitive on price compared to someone doing a
quarter of what you'll put in.
For example your local handyman may lightly sand and apply
the top coat over the top, sometimes without even cleaning
the surface before application; believe me I seen it done
and had to rectify it on more than one occasion. Then again
there's ones which sugar soap the existing coats and apply
two coats of satin; because it's self undercoating with a
foam roller. Since when should a top coat have cellulite?
But if you want a really nice finish then you could need as
much as this - Priming and sanding bare timber to seal
timber and remove the grain, clean, undercoat to add build.
Fine sand to start off on a smooth surface, clean gain, add
first top coat, very light sand, clean add final top coat -
unless more required. Oh and I forgot the time between
trying to reduce the amount of dirt and dust settling and
the amount of paint required, because a superior finish
often requires thicker coats with better quality paint.
So you can see how this would be far more expensive, so
customers this is why I always ask what level of finish do
you require. I don't want to offer you something you're not
particularly interested in, as more and more are concerned
with the wall being painted than trims - which I feel is a
shame.
If you're starting off with a poor surface that looks like
it has been freshly ploughed by the local farmer, then that
will project itself into every layer of paint you apply.
Paint thickness neither too thick or thin plays an
important part also as this allows the paint to flow out
across the painted surface, better quality paints flow far
better than others. Remember to steer well clear of 'one
coat' and 'non drip' as they are plain trash.
To sum up, invest in a nice top quality brush, always use
the best paint and from preparation to final coat, use some
tender loving care; no short cuts allowed. When it comes to
laying the paint off to ensure no brush marks are left
behind I always use the following analogy when training
people to paint.
"Imagine you've been kidnapped and you've been forced to
brush your child's skin with a wire brush; horrible thought
I know but bare with me. You obviously don't want to harm
your child with the brush, so you brush the child's skin so
gently that the metal strands barely make contact and no
marks are left." Thats about the same amount of pressure I
use with my brush on all coats from primer through to final
top coat.